I Remember
by Eternal Musing
Summary: [ONE SHOT] Re-edited version. Memories of how it all began, memories of days lost in the sea of time. Memories that will never be forgotten, for these memories will last for all of eternity. Please review? Thanks


Re-edited Version:

This is a more or less a one shot, since I did this in two goes. It started when I was thinking over a particular strange scene in one of the eps, and how that could have occured.

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I Remember:

My first memory was hazy, and before that there was nothing. Of cause, before that I was free and without form or conscious, so before that moment I was nothing, knew nothing. I have often wondered of my past life, wondered at days and nights going by without knowing time or light or darkness, only an endless drifting, not knowing anything of life or the world, not caring fover knew. But at that moment when I looked into his dark eyes, I knew that I was safe, and that I will never forget him. His lips lifted in a gentle curve and one finger pushed the glasses closer to his eyes. "You were once the wind, free and without thought. But I have given you a body and mind. You are the first I have created, but I would never have thought that you would be so wonderful and beautiful. I can't begin to describe my happiness." He paused at that moment, allowing me time to take in his speech. After the pause, he continued in the same soft tone. "There is much to learn of the world, and not all of them are known to the human world. My wish is to find those mysteries, and I hope to learn more of magic wiat I was safe, and that I will never forget him. His lips lifted in a gentle curve and one finger pushed the glasses closer to his eyes. "You were once the wind, free and without thought. But I have given you a body and mind. You are the first I have created, but I would never have thought that you would be so wonderful and beautiful. I can't begin to describe my happiness." He paused at that moment, allowing me time to take in his speech. After the pause, he continued in the same soft tone. "There is much to learn of the world, and not all of them are known to the human world. My wish is to find those mysteries, and I hope to learn more of magic with your help. So, will you stay?" And although the stranger did not bind me in any way, I knew that I will never leave him, not for anything and everything in this world.

Afterwards, I was slowly taught of the human world and its ways, and of all things magical weaving inside all living things within this land. In turn, Master Clow was able to create others like me; those who were one with the world and had found form and substance under Master Clow's magic. Some, like me, paid our loyalty to him, being grateful for all he had given us. But that is only a small number of us; many more did not care for this change, and some even tried to oppose him, blaming him for the loss of their freedom and for binding their powers. But in the end, all the elements of this world were bond to our Master's power, although there was still some who waited silently and plotted their revenge.

There are many things that have passed through my life, and countless memories of the past could be remembered. But among all those images, two particular ones are most clear; the first was my first memory, that of a new life starting anew. The other was later, and many a winters have passed between the two thoughts. It was spring, I remember. The residue of winter passed lingered in the sharp air and clear sky, and the great trees in my Master's garden had just woken from their slumber. We were out in the garden, my Master and I. He had summoned me, and I remembered seeing a glimmer of something shining in his eyes. He was smiling, but it was a smile of suppressed excitement and joy. "I have a surprise for you today; it's something very special. There are two people I want you to meet." He walked up to the door of the bedroom and opened the heavy oak door. And two small figures slowly emerged from the dark shadows of the hallway. Seeing my attention locked upon the pair, my Master's smile widened. "Let me introduce you all; the one with the power of the sun is called Cerberus, and that next to him who has the power of the moon is Yue. They are to be the two guardians for all of you. Yue, Cerberus, this is Windy. She is going to teach both of you how to fly."

Spring passed by with the barest flicker of notice, and the warm fragrant summer nights was no more than the blink of an eye. Soon, autumn had fallen upon the world again, and it was there where my memories are the most clear. It has only been three seasons, and yet the twin guardian under my care had grown at an extraordinary rate. Already, Guardian Cerberus had learned to growl and roar and pounce and stalk. His favorite game was played in the flying lessons: He waits, crouching in my Master's tall rose bushes and stare unblinking up at his brother as the Moon Guardian practiced flying with my aid. And when the Guardian of the Sun judges it's time, he would pounce high into the air, and aided with his wings, jump high enough and tackle his brother down onto the ground. Sometimes he succeeded, and Guardian Yue would land in a disheveled heap of pale feathers and golden fur. And at those times, Guardian Cerberus would keep his brother pinned down and roar in his victory. And Guardian Yue would frown and tries to push the heavier sibling off him, without result. Then he would become annoyed, and call for my Master to come and bring punishment down upon the golden guardian. My Master would always come, for he is never far away when the two were having their lessons. He would stop, and chuckle softly at the scene before him. Then he would always pull the overjoyed cub off, and praise him on how strong the young guardian was becoming. Guardian Yue would always scramble up as fast as possible and smooth down his clothing and glare at his sibling. Then he would sulk and scrape one foot against the soft grass, golden eyes down in dejection. Of cause, my Master would notice the brooding guardian, and often he would bend down and smooth down the silky pale tresses and gaze deep into eyes of amber. "Do not be sad because you lost to your brother. Something you must learn is that losing is inevitable in life. You must accept it, and learn from it so that next time, you would not lose again." I can remember those words as clearly as if he is speaking them in this instant. I can remember the boy would slowly calm down under the warm words, and in the end, he would nod solemnly and stare at his brother, as if in challenge.

Indeed, it had seemed that the Guardian of the Moon had taken the words more seriously than anything in life, for gradually the number of misses grew higher, and the hits rarer until soon it was impossible for his brother to strike the boy. I remember every time Guardian Yue had evaded a tackle, he would stop and hover for a moment. I cradled him within my grasp, making sure that the strength of the updraft under his wings were just right, and that no sudden gusts were about to come and buffet my charge. My pupil would look down at his attacker, and allow a tiny twitch of his lips as he saw that it was now the cub that would be sulking and clawing at the grass with his front paws.

Guardian Yue, I can remember clearly. Even at an early age the young guardian was silent and serious, never giving in to his brother's more energetic ways. He, being the guardian of my element, was more taken to flying than his brother. I can remember the first lesson we ever had. My Master was there, and he had allowed us to use his bed as the landing site. As always, Guardian Cerberus wanted to go first; his brother was more cautious and analyzed the situation from a safe distance away. So climbing onto the bedside cabinet, liquid brown eyes closed as a tiny roar left his throat. The call was too much for such a small body, it seemed; his diminutive form stumbled and toppled off the cabinet from the overuse of energy. My Master gasped, and the golden guardian clawed frantically at the empty air, feathered wings flapping but unable to keep afloat. Guardian Yue stared, cat pupils dilated with shock and his mouth gaping open. But I was there, swirling around his small form and allowed the cub to hover just inches over the soft carpet. The yelp of fear suddenly turned into squeals of surprised delight as he was lifted up high over the bed, circling wildly around the large room, ducking and weaving through furniture, before finally being dropped gently onto the soft bed. He laid there for a moment; catching his breath as his soul was still living the extravagant flight. Then suddenly the shreds of cotton and fabric adorned the air as tiny but sharp claws and teeth went into a frenzy that mirrored the cub's ecstatic soul.

Then it was Guardian Yue's, but the guardian had not been as energetic as before, especially after watching his brother speed uncontrollably above his head. But as always, my Master was there, and soon his soft words and soothing murmurs eased the boy's fears. Of what the qualms were, I would never know. But I had always suspected that the prospect of making a fool of himself like his brother was more frightening than the actual flying. Whatever the fear was, it did not affect him; stepping lightly off the cabinet and into my waiting arms, a tiny gasp of delight escaped his lips as we rose up. Hesitantly, pale wings extended slowly; silver tinted feathers ruffling lightly under the breeze as the weak muscles tried to flutter him higher. But after some moments, the wings fell limp, and I laid the boy down on the half destroyed bed. He stayed there, panting slightly from the unfamiliar and exhausting movements. Soon, he was curled up and fast asleep with Guardian Cerberus snoring gently by his side. Standing on the side of the bed, my Master smiled softly down upon the pair, leaning down and pulling what's remained of the quilt over the two resting bodies. Straightening, my Master faced me, his tranquil gaze meeting and holding mine. The smile widened, and strange new warmth flowed through me as he spoke. "Thank you for today. I knew I could trust you, and I was right. I leave these two in your care, and hope they will appreciate such a good teacher." And then he left me, and silently closed the door behind him. And I stood, puzzled as how such a simple speech could make me feel so much.

Years flew by, and time passed within the world. But in my Master's halls, nothing changed. It was as if the passage of time did not, could not touch all within this place. Guardian Yue and Cerberus had grown, but that was all that was different. All else was still unchanged; the roar of laughter as Guardian Cerberus won his brother in some game, the silent but commanding aura of Guardian Yue that could be always be felt in his presence, the soft smiles and gentle words of my Master as he settles yet another dispute between the brothers. And even though the lessons were long finished, I still remained with them everyday; for every moment I watch them, I am enfolded in a strange sense of tranquility, of simple contentment, and of blissful warmth. I have told of these odd emotions to the other elements, but none knew of the reason, or why I feel that way. And so my search for answers gradually stopped as time went by.

Then, all of a sudden, _that_ day arrived. I did not know why it happened, _could_ not know. Or perhaps a small part of me had always waited this day, but I just did not want to believe in this. Yes, I had always known that the perfect world we lived would eventually end, that one day everything I hold dear would leave me. And so, on that fateful autumn day, I learned what it is like to lose everything you had.

It was a warm morning, I remember. Summer had only just left in, and the roses in my Maste's garden were still in bloom. We were outside in the garden, soaking in the warm rays of life and enjoying this simple pleasure. Guardian Cerberus had just taken a bath, and one could still see the vapors of water leaving his amber fur. Some distance from him, Guardian Yue was also drying off, but for a whole different reason. It had been a long while since Bubble and Water were summoned to clean the golden guardian, but still he had not come out of the room. Slightly worried, Guardian Yue pushed the door open to see if all was well, only to have his vision obscured by a bucket of water cascading down from large bucket balanced above the door. The rest was a blur of sodden fur and dripping wings as Guardian Yue chased his brother through the house, and occasional fireball or ice shard bursting in the hallways. As the enraged guardian closed on his target, Guardian Cerberus burst into my Master's room, and seeing them both, he could not help chuckling at the sight of Guardian's pink face and sodden hair. Like always, the temper was soon calmed with a few words from my Master, and a morning of sun-bathing was recommended for both of the brothers. Grumbling and glaring at each other, the two left my Master's study. With the pair gone, me attention was back on the robed figure beside me.

He has changed, and the years had finally caught him. No longer could he wrestle with the two guardians, but was content to sit and watch. His dark hair is now streaked with strands of grey, and lines of fatigue marked his face. Every time he lifts the wine glass, a slight tremor passes through those slim fingers. Winter is now spent indoors instead of snow fights out in the white plain. Closing the book he was reading, my Master sighed softly, and then turned to face me. Yes, so much of him had changed, but no his eyes. They were still the orbs of darkness that held an eternity of wisdom and care. "Would you go and check on them two for me? I'm afraid my old bones can not run around the house like it used to." Nodding silently, I was half way across the room when he spoke again. "Thank you, for all you have done for me." I should have known then that it meant something, but I did not think that. Just as I entered the garden, a familiar sensation gripped me, one that I have not experienced for a long time. The binding of my Master's was calling me back, commanding me to rest in the dormant form. Faintly, my failing senses could hear the startled roar of Guardian Cerberus and the cries of Guardian Yue as they too felt the bind working its power over them. As blackness surrounds me, I knew that my Master was lost to me forever.

Now, thousands of years have passed us by, and I have a new Mistress whom I serve. She summoned me just now; and I answered her command like I always do, and prepared to battle on her behalf. But the sight of my opponent slowed my charge. Guardian Yue stood before me; silver hair flowing in the night breeze, great wings extending and catching the wind just like when he was young. The same golden gaze coolly at me; the hundreds of years passing did not change him the least, he was still as collected and calm as ever. I knew that I could not win this battle. No matter how hard I will try, Guardian Yue has the magical binding over my element, and then I would be in his command. Just then, I heard a soft voice whispering in my mind, and I could see the familiar figure in my vision. He was like what I first remembered him as; smiling and waiting patiently, without a hint of time marring his figure. We were back at his bedroom, exactly like the first time I met him. Smiling up at me, my Master gazed at me and into my soul. "We have met again. Thank you for taking care of Sakura for me, as well as Yue and Cerberus. I am sorry about last time, but if all of you knew of what I was to do, then I think the binding would have been leas pleasant for both you and me." There, his speech stopped for a moment, and the spectacled gaze moved to the window. "Sakura needs you, for she can not defeat Yue without aid. Go, and believe, and you will win this battle." The room dissolved, and I was back to reality. As I surged towards Guardian Yue, a few final words brushed my mind for an infinite moment, before dying away into the past.

"I am honored to have you in my family".

Time touches all things in this world, and even for beings like me there were no exception. Thousands of years I have lived; thousands of blossoming springs, warm summers, timeless autumns, and pure winters. Countless memories I have stored with each passing of a season, and now, many of the images and senses I have experienced have faded. But still I remember many things, and one of them is how, many years ago, I was once part of a family.


End file.
